Head Over Heels
by Nuclear Kitty
Summary: Zuko attempts to spend a day to himself until Ty Lee shows up and changes his perception about her and the world. Ty Lee x Zuko foreshadowed romance.


Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or the characters that appear in this story (could use the money though :P )

Author's Note: This is a cute one-shot to possibly prelude an actual Ty Luko/ Zulee story that I have started working on. This is set in a post finale setting where Zuko is Fire Lord. Like most Ty Luko/ ZuLee stories that I have read, he and Mai are having problems with their compatibility. After a particularly eye-opening spat Zuko decides to take a break and enjoy a day of solitude until Ty Lee appears to turn his perspective upside down. This one-shot is ZuLee with a touch of Maiko (just because it is cannon and must be addressed)

Head Over Heels

Zuko

"Do not disturb me tomorrow with work. I will be taking a day of leisure. Bring all work to my uncle." He waved his hands dismissively and prepared for sleep. He could hear the muttering of servants as he settled into his soft bed, but his mind was replaying the argument from that afternoon.

_She was especially silent when he talked about the state of the nation. She began to examine her nails as the night wore on with his frustrations._

"_Zuko, let's not talk about politics," She sighed._

_His brow twitched, and he gave her a look. '_Mai never wanted to talk about the nation._' _

"_It's my job. I care about it." _

_She gave him a blank look. "You get to emotionally involved in your work." _

_This only made him angrier. "You don't want to get involved at all." _

"_What do you want me to do?" she countered with the same argument while giving him a withering look. "You are the Fire Lord." _

"_I know," He said while grinding his teeth. "You're missing my point completely. I just want you to care!"_

"_I do care," She retorted "about you." Her light gold eyes were calm, and it unnerved him._

"_That seems to be it." He detached himself from her couch and signaled for his attendants to leave. He threw a look over his shoulders to see if her passive face revealed anger or sadness, but it was still and unmoving. She simply held up her hand in farewell, turned her back to him, and left the room._

'_She doesn't really care…'_ The thought refused to leave his head.

They never talked to each other. Sometimes, he appreciated how they didn't have to talk to each other, and they could sit companionably for hours. When he needed to talk to someone and he couldn't find his uncle or mother, he would turn to her. He would begin to unburden himself, but then she would say not to worry and change the subject. In the beginning of their relationship, he was disgruntled but accepted the distractions. His problems would not disappear, and he would lie awake at night feeling alone wondering why he even tried to talk to her. Now that he found his mother and uncle, he relied heavily on them, and he couldn't help resenting his girlfriend's complete lack of empathy at times.

Now he found himself lying in bed again wondering if he could marry someone who didn't offer the emotional support he needed. He could not always depend on his mother and uncle… he rolled over onto his side.

'I will think more on this tomorrow.'

Zuko consciously tore himself from bed before the sun rose and begun his day with a quick bath to wake himself up. While he was toweling himself dry in his chambers he noticed a single note on his bed from his mother, Lady Ursa.

Darling your uncle and I respect your choice to take a well-deserved break. I think it will do you good to relax, but do not hesitate to send for either of us for company. A day in solitude is not always the best solution for a lonely heart.

The young Fire Lord smiled at the parchment and tucked it away for future scrutiny. Then he decided to watch the rising sun.

Ty Lee

Ty Lee woke up feeling up with the same smile she fell asleep wearing. She flipped her pink bed spread off and adjusted her kimono. She began her day with stretches to relieve those muscles that she had overly strained in the contorted positions she resorted to in her dreams. After a few kinks began to melt away she walked over to her mirror to begin her ritual of preparation. She gazed into the mirror and laughed at how her long wavy hair had disentangled itself from the wet braid she wore to bed. She ran a brush leisurely through her frazzled hair and decided to visit Mai.

In the year since Azula, her supposed friend, died, she was no longer filled with the mixed feelings of relief and regret. The girl she had looked up to as a child had turned into someone she feared. She ran away from home and thought she had seen the last of the young girl genius. She had been forced to join her team and the façade had been forced. She had acted like she worshipped the princess and over exaggerated her happy go lucky nature. At night she wondered if she was overdoing her acting. She wished she could have been like Mai who did the opposite. When they had the chance, Mai and Ty Lee turned on her. Now a year later Ty Lee was at last free, but she occasionally when she thought of her friend turned psychopath she would think of all the effects that experience had on her and Mai. She would resort to her dumb persona when she felt intimidated and Mai had developed apathy for the world. In all they were complete opposites, but their friendship was strangely strong.

She hummed to herself as she began to plait her hair and admired her complexion and youth. Her own flaw that she openly accepted was conceit, but the fact that she knew her six sisters reflected her own beauty humbled her. The youngest child would likely wish to be just like older siblings, but Ty Lee at an early age wanted attention. She yearned for individuality, and when it couldn't be found in her appearance, she consoled herself with by developing unique skills and quirks. She looked common but on the inside she was special.

Her visit to Mai tested her good humor. Mai finally revealed after much prodding and coaxing on Ty Lee's part that Zuko was the source of her anxiety. She devised a scheme to be the peace maker in the situation and left Mai's home knowing she would set things right.

Zuko

He ate a simple breakfast outside so he could feed the turtleducks. The animals, familiar with Ursa and his presence, quickly flocked to him anticipating a treat. He teased them a little by hovering crumbs over his open mouth and then he would laugh as they quacked threateningly. He finally surrendered the bread and peacefully ate his meal while watching them float around. He would be sorry when they would be gone.

Setting his empty rice dish to the side until he would enter the dark palace, he moved away from the water and stood to begin his fire bending stances.

He began by breathing and placing his palms together against his rhythmic chest.

All thoughts of Mai dissipated while he became absorbed with his exercise.

His mind was empty, but when he opted to use fire in his movements a few faces and thoughts came to mind. When he almost set a tree on fire, the arrowed Avatar's friendly face came to mind. When he lost his temper at failing a highly complicated move he had accomplished before, his mother's compassionate face appeared. When he experimented with his lightening technique, visions of his father and sister entered into his thinking souring his mood, but only for it to be restored with a sudden thought about his Uncle Iroh. He was attempting a flip that would be accelerated by flame, but because of the intensity of the flames he was struggling to complete the full movements when a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I could help you with that!" a vision of Ty Lee walking on her hands flew through his mind and he fell on his back in surprise

He heard the quick shuffling of feet on grass and he tilted his head backward to see her standing above him with gray eyes wide with concern.

"I'm so sorry Zuko! Are you hurt? "

He shook his head and her face no longer wavered as his dizziness subsided.

"No just stunned." He found himself calmly saying even though his heart was still beating after the shock.

"Let me help you up." She squatted, placed her two hands behind his shoulders, and helped him sit up.

"Thanks." He rebuffed her from further help and stood to face her.

Ty Lee

She entered the palace hunting for the Fire Lord finding him unusually absent from his war chamber, throne room, and even his study. She found herself lucky with the last spot because she was informed by his witty uncle of his whereabouts.

"He's brooding out doors, you can't miss him" He gave her an impish smile implying it was a joke.

She laughed at his directions.

'I always liked his sense of humor'.

She had indeed found the Fire Lord easily. He was singing to himself while he was bending in the open backyard. She listened to his guttural, but surprisingly melodious tenor voice. His singing died when he began to get frustrated and she realized her mission had been diverted by her outright staring. He was attempting to complete a double flip, but he couldn't maintain the inertia long enough to complete a second flip. She, thinking that he had seen her approaching, but not knowing he wasn't seeing anything but the challenge he was attempting, blurted out that she could help. She realized her mistake as she saw the realization that he wasn't alone come across his face as he was in the air. She had begun to run as soon as she anticipated his crash landing.

"What are you doing here?" He fought vertigo as he balanced himself just by resting his hand on her shoulder.

"I just came to visit and talk about some things…" She trailed off knowing that wasn't what she really wanted to do right then. "Actually I was watching you and I thought I could help."

He gave her a bemused look. "You are not a firebender. And didn't any one tell you that I wanted to be alone today?"

"I'm sure they mentioned that." She said giving him a playful smile before contemplating his actions "Alone? That would be one of my worst days."

'Technically I'm recovering from one' he thought to himself

"You never need to think?" he shot back venting a little of his frustration at her by attacking her intelligence.

Her smile flipped instantaneously upside down, and her light gray eyes that had been dancing moments before began to darken with intense emotion.

"I don't need to be alone to think." she slowly enunciated each of the words trembling with anger and slight hurt.

"I'm sorry." he apologized. "That came out wrong. I didn't think." He lowered his head humbly, and she instantly forgave him.

Her smile restored itself and gave him a quick hug. "I forgive you, and I'm sorry I scared you."

"You didn't…" he caught himself from arguing, and then found himself shocked for the second time that day as she enveloped him a hug.

"You need to be hugged more" She commented and chuckled softly at his stiffness. He smiled in spite of her teasing.

'Maybe' Mai's face came to mind and wondered when she had once comforted him in that way.

His little smile died so quickly that Ty Lee knew she should return him from his thoughts.

"Let's work on that flip that you were trying. I may not be a firebender, but I was the one that helped Azula with her flexibility." She put her hands on her hips determined to teach him if he proved stubborn.

"Okay." He shrugged his shoulders and thoughts.

She patted her chin thoughtfully "Maybe I should show you first".

He nodded crossing his arms watching her as she warmed up. When she was ready her face became concentrated and she began to sprint. Then her calves contracted with a giant leap, and she spun as she tucked her legs in. After the completion of the second spiral, she extended her legs and deftly landed on those feet.

"Is that it?" she asked innocently feeling the rush that always accompanied her acrobatics.

"Yes." He said rolling his eyes though smiling at her inadvertent flaunting of her skill. "Wouldn't the dynamics be affected by the fact that I am a man..." he ackwardly trailed off.

She gave him a queer look, "Men are stronger in general than most women and they carry less fat, so this move will be easier for you to accomplish."

He looked startled for a moment at the little fact, shook his head, and sighed. "I guess I do not have any more excuses."

He mimicked her running push off feeling a little uncomfortable about her attention. He flushed in concentration and then lept into the air. Tucking his legs in as he did before, he looped around and then he kicked his legs out too slowly and fell on his knees.

"What am I doing wrong?" he asked himself while pulling up grass while his knees stung and flooded pain throughout his legs.

"Ouch" Ty Lee sympathized knowing her fair share of bruises and how the inexplicable pain of falling on a funny bone. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You just need kick your feet out sooner."

He got off his knees and began to run again. This time he completed the move and he began to smile.

"Watch out!" Ty Lee's voice shouted, but it was too late. His foot landed in the rice dish he had carelessly set aside that morning. He waved his arms up in down like a bird to keep his balance, but he still fell unceremoniously on his rear with a resounding thump. Strangely enough he found himself laughing.

Ty Lee was beginning to ask for the third time if he was seriously injured when she caught wind of his laughter. Like his singing had caught her off guard, his laughter was music to her ears.

She joined in the laughter and sat beside him.

When he was finished he wiped his watery eyes with his sleeve. "I'm so clumsy."

"Maybe it's just because I'm here?" She joked uncertainly, and he chuckled.

"I wish, but no." She laughed again with him, but watched as he threw his head back. His enigmatic gold eyes revealed his mirth, and she leaned in to touch his shoulder.

"I think your laughter is good for you." She confided in a low voice and flushed when she withdrew her hand. He nodded, but the inscrutable look returned. Ty Lee felt a stab of regret at her actions when he looked towards the pond.

"Look..." she knew she should try to bring up the subject she had been putting off for the past hour. He turned his head back to her, but he wasn't meeting her eyes. "I came here to talk to you about Mai."

She winced anticipating the customary "It's none of your business."

He noticed her reaction and decided to be civil.

"It's complicated." He echoed another phrase referring to his relationship with Mai.

"What's wrong?" she probed quietly wanting to hear his side.

"She doesn't care about the things I care about." He looked into her sympathetic gray eyes. "Sometimes I feel so distant from her, I don't know her anymore."

His lips formed a wry smile, but his eyes showed how hurt he truly was. She had the strong impulse to pull him into her arms but she resisted. Her heart was in her eyes, and he was grateful for her sincere attention.

"I still care about her, but sometimes I find myself wanting to break it off." His heart was heavy, but just talking to her had lightened up his aura from gray to a hazy gold. She finally gave in to her desire to hug him.

"You'll make the right choice" as she put her arms around his shoulders and leaned her head into the crook of his neck. "Just know she might need to open up too sometimes." He contemplated the words whispered into his mangled ear. He found himself relaxing into the hug and patted her on the back.

"Thank you."

_He definitely needs to be hugged more._

She disentangled herself from him, and calculating the time by the sun, she knew she should probably leave. "I guess I'll go."

She felt sheepish taking so long to talk about the problem. She realized that by sidestepping the issue and bonding with the hard headed Fire Lord had developed a friendship that she had wanted for the longest time.

"Wait." He said giving her a long look. "I need to apologize. I judged you before and I'm sorry for being so rude and calling you 'circus freak' before. You understand more than you let on." She blinked at the reference. She had unnerved him when she had told him she understood him and she had realized her mistake when he began attacking her sacred 'individuality'.

"I had forgotten about that. I've already forgiven you." She gave him a warm smile. "I was shocked to see you actually stand on your hands." She reminisced.

"I was surprised when I actually did it." He confessed. At his worst, his anger had a way of taking over his actions. He didn't know why he was keeping her from leaving, but he felt he could talk forever to those wide, compassionate eyes. She gave him a wide smile.

"Can you actually walk on your hands?"

"Probably," He shrugged, "never had a reason to try."

"Oh it's fun." she felt joy wash over her face. _He needs more fun in his serious life._

She crouched and shifted all her weight on her hands. Her braid whipped her in the face as it flew from shoulder to in front of her. She wrinkled her nose at its disarray before shaking her head until it fell behind as it was supposed to. Zuko remained silently sitting watching her display the long while.

"Come on!" she goaded and she walked out her straining arm muscles. "It's easy."

He acknowledged the challenge with a frown of determination. The world flipped and his arm muscles strained to accommodate his weight. The tree he had nearly set on fire, the turtleducks, and even the sun looked like a different setting upside down. The only thing that looked right was Ty Lee who looked like she was walking on thin air.

Zuko took his first steps on his hands. His smile of accomplishment touched Ty Lee's heart at its sheer brilliance, and she knew sharing this with him was one of her best ideas. His forehead had a single vein that throbbed with every step and his crown and topknot fell down, but all this was forgotten as he explored the world he grew up in a different angle.

"Want to race?" he asked as he came up beside her.

"Yes." She beamed at him, but it changed into a cry of indignation when he took a head start.

They raced until his arms got tired, and Ty Lee's head began to ache.

They fell onto the grass and watched the sun gradually set past the palace.

"Do you see those colors?" Ty Lee pointed at the sun. He turned to her and nodded. Her hair was falling out of her braid, and her gray eyes looked brown with the angle of the light.

"Yeah and now my eyes are hurting."

She stuck her tongue out at him, and continued. "That's what your aura looks like right now."

He blinked and smiled.

The sun set on that perfect day.

Zuko

He fell asleep easily after the exertion of the day, but he dreamed of handstands, hugs, and sunset auras that revealed the heart he had misunderstood for the longest time. He would wake up the next day to a lot of bruises and sore muscles, listen to Mai and mend their relationship, and wonder when Ty Lee would make another visit.

Ty Lee

Ty Lee had trouble going asleep with the fast thumping of her heart. She had gained a new friend, knew that Mai and he would make peace, and couldn't get the image of him smiling at her on the grass reflecting all the colors of the setting sun.

End

Author's Note: I was impressed by the little ZuLee interaction in season three. I accept Maiko as cannon, but personally I don't see their relationship as healthy. I'm hoping for more Mai development because Nightmares and Daydreams showed her in a better light, but for now my fanon ship (after the legendary Soko of course) is my favorite ship for Zuko.

I was inspired to write my longer story (which will be posted if this gets enough fan reception) after I saw a stunning picture by DanaisH on deviantart and after lurking on DH forums (I'm not a member but I like to read what other fans post). I began writing the story, but I struggled to get the characters to interact. So I decided I needed a set up story and here it is! I finished this today after spending about a day on it (yay for free time after finals), and I enjoyed writing this piece.

Nuclear Kitty

Not much fan reception... Please review! I'd like some opinions :)


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